SCO: 2011 in Review

The end of 2011 allows us the opportunity to look back at some of the significant SCO headlines from throughout the year. Highlights included:

January 2011

• A group of SCO volunteers spend the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday by volunteering at KIPP Memphis, a charter school in downtown.
• SCO hosted its third annual State Day event, drawing state and national optometry representatives from nearly a dozen states to meet with students.
• The Eye Center completed an Optical expansion project that added 40 percent more sales floor space.
• Cristie Upshaw Travis, CEO of the Memphis Business Group on Health, joins SCO’s Board of Trustees.

February 2011

• The Class of 2012 attend SCO’s Second Annual Memphis Laser Workshop, a hands-on program designed to familiarize interns in working with ophthalmic lasers.
• NHL player Bryce Salvadore, visited SCO to be treated for vision changes caused by his hockey play.
• A number of students and alumni attend SCO’s Alumni Reception held at the Heart of America meeting in Kansas City.

March 2011

• SCO hosts its second Housing Fair for incoming students and their families.
• SCO enjoys perhaps its biggest attendance ever at its annual reception for alumni and friends at SECO in Atlanta.

April 2011

• Several SCO students attend the 2011 AOA Congressional Advocacy Conference in Washington D.C. to meet with elected officials.
• Dr. Joe Ellis, AOA President and a 1986 SCO graduate, visits the SCO campus and meets with the Kentucky Club.
• Drs. Chris Lievens and Glen Steele each appear on TV programs to talk about eye and vision health.

May 2011

• SCO’s commencement ceremony sees 119 new optometrists graduating.
• Honorary degrees are awarded to outgoing AOA President Dr. Joe Ellis, Donna Abney and Darlene Eakin.
• SCO’s second Capstone program is held for graduating seniors and opens with a Memphis Redbirds game as senior Jimmy Murphy throws out the opening pitch.
• SVOSH and FCO mission trips take student and faculty volunteers to several countries where they provide vision care to thousands of patients.

June 2011

• A group of 36 students, nine staff doctors and several alumni volunteers at the Special Olympics “Opening Eyes” Vision Screening event at Vanderbilt University in Nashville.
• SCO participates with Memphis Mayor A C Wharton in kicking off the new Colleges of Memphis event.
• SCO observes flag day with a special ceremony.
• SCO hosts a booth and well-attended alumni reception at the AOA national meeting in Salt Lake City.

July 2011

• SCO’s 2011-12 Campaign results are announced; a record 94% of faculty/staff participated, raising more than $64,000 for patient care, scholarships and optometric education.
• Faculty promotions include Drs. Lindsay Elkins, Carrie Lebowitz, Jennifer Jones, John Neal, Zakiya Nicks, Anna Schlesselman, Daniel Taylor, and Marc Taub.
• Newly appointed faculty members include Drs. Michael Dasinger, Kelley Dasinger, Wilson McGriff, Christina Newman and Dr. Pam Schnell.

August 2011

• SCO students and Dr. Janette Dumas attend and participate at the 43rd annual conference of the National Optometric Association in San Diego.
• SCO welcomed 130 new students, selected from 865 applicants.
• SCO’s new entering class enjoys the highest GAP on record.

September 2011

• SCO’s Community Outreach Program begins partnering with Head Start to provide vision examinations at Delano Head Start in Memphis.
• Dr. Gerald Eisenstatt is named Director of the Hayes Center for Practice Excellence.
• SCO recognizes excellence with the college’s 25th annual Convocation ceremony.
• Drs. Al Spivey and Sidney Stern receive SCO’s Lifetime Achievement Award, while Dr. Chris Wroten is honored with the Young Alumni Award.

October 2011

• SCO volunteers participate in events for World Sight Day, VisionWalk, Ride for Your Mind, and Race for the Cure.
• A number of alumni and faculty are honored or participate at the American Academy of Optometry meeting in Boston.
• The Eye Center at SCO hosts its annual Halloween event for families.

November 2011

• Work is completed on The Eye Center’s new Advanced Procedure Theater and Digital Observatory.
• SCO hosts nearly 80 clinic chiefs and administrators from North America’s optometry colleges.
• SCO hosts Sports Vision University, a four-hour, COPE-approved continuing education event.

December 2011

• A visit by Santa Claus to The Eye Center and SCO campus is photographed and covered by ABC News and a number of national publications.
• An article in Delta’s December Sky Magazine notes that SCO is one of the nation’s leading optometry colleges. The coverage caps a number of articles over the preceding month covering SCO’s advances in technology, community outreach and The Eye Center’s new Advanced Procedure Theater and Digital Observatory.

(For a more thorough look at 2011 in review, be sure to visit SCO’s Facebook page with many more updates. You don’t have to be a Facebook member to see SCO’s posts.)

Please note: SCO will be closed for the holidays from December 22-January 4. The entire SCO community wishes you health and happiness in the New Year.

This year brought a number of opportunities for SCO’s students, faculty and staff to serve others. In this season of goodwill toward others, SCO invites you to take a look back at some of our work in 2011. On behalf of the entire SCO community, Happy Holidays!

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A group of SCO students and doctors recently traveled to Henderson, Tennessee for a weekend Remote Area Medical (RAM) trip. The group saw more than 420 patients and prescribed more than 460 pairs of glasses during their visit.

Participants included Drs. Tressa Eubank, Lindsey Elkins and Richard Savoy, as well as Adrienne Pak, Sarah Thompson, Truc Ly Nguyen, Emma Bercea, Van Vo, Addison DiMartino, Andrew Bibo, Canaan Montgomery, Molly Camerer, and RAM Coordinator Amanda Phelps.

The Memphis Daily News recently published a very positive feature story about SCO’s commitment to raising the bar. The story focuses on the college’s incorporation of technology into academic and clinical education, as well as SCO’s dedication to giving back to the community.

Dr. Richard W. Phillips, SCO’s President, and Dr. Steven Reed, Board of Trustees member, were interviewed for the story.

SCO students and several faculty members were among those receiving recognition at the October annual meeting of the American Academy of Optometry in Boston.

Dr. Glen Steele, SCO Professor, received the Willian Feinbloom Award for his role in the creation and leadership of the AOA’s InfantSEE Program. Read more in this Alumni News blog post.

SCO fourth-year Truc Ly Nguyen, ’12, received the  Zeiss Fellowship Award. She’s pictured with last year’s recipient, Dr. Matt Willis, OD, a 2011 SCO graduate, and SCO’s President, Dr. Richard W. Phillips.

Another student, Ellen Elmore ‘13, received the Antoinette Molinari Scholarship for 2011 from American Optometric Foundation.

Two members of SCO’s faculty became Academy Fellows:  Drs. Lindsay Elkins and Chris Lievens. Several alumni also received their Academy Fellowship.

Congratulations to all for their accomplishments and achievements.

Newly released numbers from the U.S. Department of Education show that SCO’s graduates are performing exceedingly well in their transition to optometric practice.  Student loan cohort default rates for Southern College of Optometry remained at zero percent for the 15th consecutive year.

A cohort default rate represents the percentage of a college’s borrowers who have defaulted on their student loans. The national average was 8.8%, up from last year’s rate of 7%, yet SCO’s default rate remained at zero percent, an indication of the strong ability of SCO’s graduates to pay back their loans.

“This is great news,” said Cindy Garner, SCO’s Director of Financial Aid. “Our graduates continue to have great success practicing optometry and repaying their student loans. The cohort default rate is an important measure of a school’s overall quality. It reflects our success in preparing our students to practice optometry.  This is a great accomplishment and it reflects admirably on each member of the SCO family.”

SCO’s Financial Aid Office actively works with students to provide them strategies to manage their student indebtedness levels. From budgeting workshops to one-on-one sessions with a financial aid counselor, the college is committed to partnering with students to ensure their success in optometry. Student scholarships provided by SCO’s alumni and friends also play an important part in managing student debt levels.

SCO is seeking submissions for names of distinguished optometrists and other individuals for consideration of honorary degrees to be awarded at commencement in 2012. The college invites you to submit the names and accomplishments of individuals to be considered; anonymous submissions are not permitted.

Recipients must be of sufficient stature and character as to honor the college. Specific criteria include at least two of these: distinguished record of scholarship, outstanding contribution to society through humanitarian efforts, public service or education, and outstanding contributions to optometry or the optometric profession.

Nominations and supporting details should be sent to Academic Affairs (Honorary Degrees), c/o SCO, 1245 Madison Ave., Memphis, TN 38104 or to degrees@sco.edu. The deadline is Friday, October 28, 2011.

Southern College of Optometry (SCO) held its 26th annual Convocation ceremony on Thursday, September 22 to honor achievement by SCO’s alumni, students, faculty and staff.

First-year students were formally welcomed into the profession of optometry by receiving their white coats and reciting the optometric oath. Scholarships and other honors were awarded in recognition of academic excellence, leadership or service. Many student scholarships were made possible through the generous and consistent financial support of SCO alumni to the Annual Fund and Endowed Scholarship Fund.

Among those recognized:

Military Services Scholarships

• U.S. Air Force: Megan Kortum ’13
• U.S. Army: Derek Black ’13, Amy Combs ’14 , Jasmin Filpo ’12, Andrew Loudon ’14 , Diana Pust ’13
• U.S. Navy: Jordan Paul ’14

Class Scholarships
The following Endowed Class Scholarships recognize outstanding leadership and professionalism by members of the Classes of 2012, 2013, and 2014.

• Classes of ’54, ’56, ’59 Scholarship ($1,000): Sam Johnson ’13
• Classes of ’60, ’61, ’63 Scholarship ($1,000): Christopher Prough ’14
• Classes of ’64, ’65, ’66 Scholarship ($1,000): Whitney Pollock ’13
• Classes of ’67, ’68, ’69 Scholarship ($1,000): Brett Miller ’12
• Classes of ’70, ’71, ’74 Scholarship ($1,000): Jenny Duncan ’12 :
• Class of 1977 Scholarship ($2,000): Stephanie Cullinan ’12, Amanda Rogers ’12
• Class of 1978 Scholarship ($1,000): Amanda Phelps ’13, Joel Weis ’13
• Class of 1984 Scholarship ($1,000): Jennifer Henry ’13, Courtney Shay ’12
• Class of 2001 Scott Whitaker Memorial Scholarship  ($1,000): Sarah Thompson ’14

Alumni and Friends Scholarships:
SCO alumni and friends generously support and recognize academic accomplishments and leadership within the student body. As such, the following endowed scholarships and awards have been established in support of SCO students.

• Rosemore Family Endowed Scholarship ($2,000): David Hite ’13, Diana Mikhail ’12, Lankhanh Pham ’13
• National Board of Examiners in Optometry Award ($1,000): Raymond Lambert ’12
• Mauldin Family Scholarship ($1,000): Amy Slama ’12
• James and Edna Duncan Award ($500): Anna Ablamowicz ’13
• Alumni Council Endowed Scholarship ($1,000): Savannah Lamb ’12
• Dr. Allan and Mrs. Susan Barker Endowed Scholarship ($2,000): Kala Brown ’13
• Dr. Freddy Wilfred Chang Endowed Scholarship ($1,000): Jennifer Snyder ’12
• Excellence in Systemic Pharmacology ($250): Aubrey Fulton ’13, Diana Pust ’13
• The W. David Sullins Endowed Scholarship for Leadership ($1,000): John Nail ’12
• Dr. Charles L. Haine Human Physiology Endowed Award ($1,000): Christina Schiller ’14
• Wayne W. Pyeatt Endowed Scholarship ($2,000) : Jason Kowallis ’12
• Peggy Remke Memorial Endowed Scholarship ($2,000): Kyle Kragenbrink ’13
• Dr. John A. Gazaway Endowed Scholarship ($1,000): Kaila Egan ’13

State and Professional Association Scholarships

• American Optometric Foundation Carl Zeiss Vision Fellowship ($5,000): Truc Ly Nguyen ’12
• American Optometric Foundation Antoinette M. Molinari Memorial Scholarship ($6,000): Ellen Elmore ’13
• Optometry Cares – The AOA Foundation 2011 InfantSEE Scholarship ($2,500): Stephanie McLin ’12
• Arkansas Optometric Association’s Dr. William H. Townsend Scholarship ($1,500): Marcus Cooke ’12
• Kentucky Optometric Association Scholarship ($1,000): Landon Brewer ’13, Levi Mansfield ’12
• Mississippi Optometric Association Scholarship, honoring Dr. William E. Cochran ($1,000): Mary Katherine Wilson ’12
• Tennessee Association of Optometric Physicians Scholarship ($1,000): Ellen Elmore ’13
• South Carolina Optometric Association Scholarship ($2,000): Sara Faulkenberry ’13

Corporate Partners and Ophthalmic Industry

• OneSight Research Foundation Dr. Stanley Pearle Scholarship ($2,000): Truc Ly Nguyen ’12
• Review of Optometry Award ($500): Ashley Gentrup ’13
• Walman Optical Company Award ($1,800): Justin Jackman ’13, Heather Jones ’13, Jenessa Hartman ’12, Stephanie McLin ’12, Amy Slama ’12
• J. Pat Cummings Scholarship ($1,000): Sara Faulkenberry ’13
• Essilor of America/Varilux Student Grant ($1,000): Jeffrey Lant ’12
• Vision Service Plan Scholarships ($4,000): Kendra Dalton ’12, Raymond Lambert ’12
• UPS Scholarships ($1,400 and $1,000): John Nail ’12, Brittany Radke ’13
• Wal-Mart Scholarship ($1,000): Stacey Canton ’14, Jonathan Coble ’13, Kacy Barker ’12
• Wal-Mart Project Foresight ($500): Joshua Watt ’13, Rikson Zollinger ’13
• Precision Optical Laboratories Endowed Scholarships ($2,000): Hilary Cox ’12, Kurt Jung ’12
• Ocular Instruments Award (Product Certificate): Susan Evans ’14, Aubrey Fulton ’13, Riley Williamson ’12
• Welch Allyn Co.Award (Panoptic Ophthalmoscope): John Dawson ’14
• Heine USA Award (Hand-held slit lamp): William Coleman ’12
• Keeler Instruments Award (Combi Retinoscope): Lucas Cook ’14

Basic Science and Clinical Science Awards

1st Year Basic Science Awards:

• Erinn Alonso-Hohmann
• Ellesse Boiwka
• Bret Butterfield
• Stacey Canton
• John Deshaies
• Brandon Hadel
• Micah Juedes
• Christina Schiller
• Nathan Stahr
• Sarah Thompson

1st Year Clinical Science Awards:

• Keri Cassels
• Lucas Cook
• John Dawson
• Susan Evans
• Kristal Jones
• Jennifer Pancoast
• Christina Schiller
• Nathan Stahr
• Ngoc Lan Vu
• Robert Young

2nd Year Basic Science Awards

• Robyn Christenson
• Aubrey Fulton
• Ashley Helton
• Janine Henry
• Jennifer Henry
• David Hite
• Allison Lyerly
• Lankhanh Pham
• Whitney Pollock
• Nathan Rock

2nd Year Clinical Science Awards:

• Anna Ablamowicz
• Miles Ashley
• Landon Brewer
• Matthew Callewaert
• Robyn Christenson
• Aubrey Fulton
• Allison Lyerly
• Lankhanh Pham
• Whitney Pollock
• Addie Smith

3rd Year Clinical Skills Awards ($1,000)
Given in memory of former faculty member, Dr. Robert L. Henry.

• Kacy Barker
• Alicia Chapman
• Marcus Cooke
• Kendra Dalton
• Scott DePoe
• Sejal Desai
• Heidi Fouch
• Jessalyn Halsted
• Kurt Jung
• Raymond Lambert

Faculty of the Year (2010-2011)

BSK Teacher of the Year Awards
Didactic:     Dr. M. Scott Ensor
Clinic:     Dr. Andrew Rixon

Class of 2014
Didactic:  Dr. James Newman, III
Clinic:  Dr. Carrie Lebowitz

Class of 2013
Didactic: Dr. Daniel Smith
Clinic: Dr. Carrie Lebowitz

Class of 2012
Didactic: Dr. Jared Powelson
Clinic: Dr. John Neal

Burnett Faculty Recognition Award
Established by Charlene Burnett, OD ’83 and Fred Burnett, OD ’80, in recognition of an outstanding faculty member as selected by his or her peers.
Dr. John Mark Jackson

Board of Trustees Resolutions
Dr. Jason Duncan, Amanda Rogers ’12

President’s Special Recognition Awards
Given by SCO’s President in recognition of exemplary service to the college:

Staff: Kim Branscomb
Faculty: Dr. Cheryl Ervin

Lifetime Achievement Awards
A. L. Spivey, III, OD ’67, is noted as an SCO externship preceptor and for mentoring and encouraging dozens of young people to pursue optometry. Named Tennessee’s OD of the Year in 1980, he served 10 years on the Tennessee Board of Examiners in Optometry. He also is a past member of the National Board of Optometry, Clinical Skills Committee, and the Part III Council.

Sidney J. Stern, OD ’71, FAAO, established south Florida’s Visual Health Center, which employs more than 100 people in its 22 locations. He also established the Florida Optometric Physicians Network to bid on managed-care contracts. Dr. Stern is president of the World Optometry Foundation, and a past president of SECO International and the Florida Optometric Association. He was named Florida’s OD of the Year and OD of the Decade.

Young Alumni Award
Christopher W. Wroten, OD ’02, has served two terms as president of the Optometry Association of Louisiana. Prior to joining The Bond-Wroten Eye Clinic as a partner in Denham Springs, he completed a residency in hospital-based primary eye care and spent several years in private practice. In addition to serving as an adjunct professor at SCO and UAB, he also serves as an SCO Residency Program Supervisor.

Class of 2015 members who received their white coats:

• Jill Allison
• Braden Anderson
• Kyle Anderson
• Lindsay Armagon
• Heather Atcherson
• Travis Bailey
• Kelly Bain
• Autumn Bewley
• Michael Bingham
• Stephen Bollinger
• Madeline Bost
• Alison Bozung
• Rebecca Briggs
• Brittany Brinkley
• Andrew Brown
• Andrew Brown
• Ryan Bunch
• Stacey Butz
• Carissa Chambers
• Michael Cole
• Fallon Cone
• Jordan Conley
• Maxx Craggs
• Mark Curtis
• Jordan Dau
• Theresa Dellaert
• Jill Dorsey
• Samantha Dougherty
• Jacob Dufour
• Lindsay Durtschi
• Meghan Earley
• Emily Evans
• Janice Fan
• Lillian Fasman
• Elizabeth Fioravanti
• Brenda Flores
• Danielle Gaeta
• Daniel Geary
• Michelle Glass
• Virgilio Gozum
• Jared Grant
• Kevin Hart
• Brandon Hauck
• Andrew Hawkins
• Ashlee Henderson
• Jenny Hines
• Craig Hossenlopp
• Lauren Howard
• Aron Hughes
• Robin Hughes
• Lisa Ille
• Barbara Jodoin
• Samuel Johansen
• Jarvis Johnson
• Alanna Khattar
• Aja Kimrey
• Robert King
• Cade Kowallis
• Jennie  Kutschka
• Michael Lam
• Meredith Lanham
• Carrie Le
• Jennifer Leonard
• Sylvie Lobreau
• Elena Lopez
• Kari Maffitt
• Nbba Malik
• Kaitlin Mayo
• Donald McFadden
• Christopher Meyer
• William Millsaps
• Mark Miriello
• Mark Mixan
• Daniel Monzon
• John Moonan
• Caitlyn Moore
• Carrie Moore
• Justin Morden
• Craig Moss
• Chelsea Mothershed
• Jacob Muller
• Marc Musto
• Sarah Nabors
• Jordan Netzel
• Aaron Neufeld
• Pinto Ng
• Tri Nguyen
• Eleanor Null
• Nathan Osterman
• Josh Parmelee
• Thomas Parrish
• Jigna Patel
• Cody Patterson
• Katlyn Potts
• Amy Puerto
• Randal Rabon
• Amanda Radeke
• Kristi Raess
• Brian Repking
• Michael Richardson
• Scott Ronhovde
• Jordan Rothlisberger
• Lois Rouzer
• Cheryl Ruzicka
• Forrest Sherrill
• Janna Shifflett
• William Smith
• Chelsea Stebel
• Matthew Steciak
• Crystal  Stone
• Ashley Stowe
• Lisa Stuart
• Austin Swain
• Jessica Taylor
• Amber Teten
• Allyson Thomas
• Christopher Thomas
• Inna Timshina
• Brittany Tounsel
• Tam Vo
• Andrea Walker
• Xuetong Wei
• Katherine West
• Christopher White
• Ryan Widdison
• Michael Wiles
• Meredith Yingling
• Liyang Zhang
• Kaeleen Zink
• Laura Zink

Photos from Convocation will be added to SCO’s Photo Galleries. A DVD of the ceremony may be ordered for $30 directly from Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church by calling (901) 722-6222.

A.L. Spivey III, OD ’67, and Sidney J. Stern, OD ’71, each received the Lifetime Achievement Award from Southern College of Optometry (SCO) during the college’s annual Convocation ceremony on Thursday, September 22 in Memphis. The award is presented to SCO alumni who have demonstrated the highest level of service to their profession, patients and communities.

A 1967 SCO graduate, Dr. Spivey began practicing in West Tennessee following his graduation. His practice in McKenzie has served as an externship site for numerous optometry students, and Dr. Spivey enjoys a reputation for having mentored or encouraged young people to pursue careers as optometrists. One of those was his son, Scott Spivey, OD ’94.

He is a member of the American Optometric Association, the Tennessee Association of Optometric Physicians, and the Northwest Tennessee Association of Optometric Physicians (NWTAOP), which honored him as Optometrist of the Year in 1977. He was also named Tennessee’s Optometrist of the Year in 1980.

Dr. Spivey served 10 years on the Tennessee Board of Examiners of Optometry and as Legislative Chairman for his state association. He also is a past member of the National Board of Optometry and has served in a number of other related committees as well.

He is a member and Past President of the McKenzie Lions Club, as well as a member of the medical staff at Regional Hospital in McKenzie. He and his wife, Vee, have two sons and five grandchildren.

A 1971 graduate, Dr. Sidney Stern has practiced in Florida for the past 40 years.  His Visual Health Center employees more than 100 people at 22 locations throughout Miami-Dade and Broward Counties.

In 1990, Dr. Stern established the Florida Optometric Physicians Network to bid on managed-care contracts, demonstrating leadership that has benefitted many ODs in his state. He is president of the World Optometry Foundation and also has served in a number of key offices of SECO International, including terms as President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary and Trustee.

Dr. Stern has served as Chairman of the Board and President of the Florida Optometric Association. He has also served on the American Optometric Association’s Eye Care Benefits Committee and the AOA’s Congress Committee.

In 1997, he was named Florida’s Optometrist of the Year and in 2000, Optometrist of the Decade. He and his wife, Florence, are the parents of four children, one of whom is also an optometrist.

Congratulations to Drs. Spivey and Stern for their accomplishments and contributions to the profession of optometry.

Christopher Wroten, OD ’02, received the Young Alumni Award from Southern College of Optometry (SCO) during the college’s annual convocation ceremony on Thursday, September 22 in Memphis. The award is presented to SCO alumni who have graduated within the last 10 years and have demonstrated a commitment to service, leadership and support of the college’s mission.

Dr. Wroten, a Louisiana native, majored in chemical engineering and worked at Exxon Chemical before deciding to pursue optometry. He enrolled at SCO and graduated summa cum laude in 2002.

Following his graduation, he completed a residency in hospital-based primary eye care at the Memphis Veterans Affairs Medical Center. He practiced several years at West Tennessee Eye and volunteered at the Memphis Church Health Center.

He left Memphis to become a partner at the Bond-Wroten Eye Clinic in Denham Springs, Louisiana. With his thriving practice experience, he has participated in clinical research, case reports and national optometric conferences. He is an adjunct professor at SCO and at the University of Alabama-Birmingham College of Optometry.

He and his wife, Sarah Wroten, OD ’03, are the parents of two children.